In football, when the quarterback lets loose and throws a pass all the way down the field, it's called a "hail Mary" pass. Sometimes, someone running at full speed manages to catch that pass and run it in for a touchdown. Most of the time, that doesn't happen, but in football, as in cooking, every now and then you just have to take a chance and hope it works out. This red curry beef was a bit of a hail Mary. I was limited to ingredients I had on hand, as this week's snow storm kept me stuck in the house. I began cooking the ground beef before I knew where the dish was going, and when I found some leftover sauce from a curried tofu dish in the refrigerator, I tossed it into the pan. Voila! Red curry beef so good I made a second batch to stash in the freezer. Serve it over rice, if you wish, but I liked it as more of a salad.

Directions

In a wok or deep frying pan set over medium heat, brown the beef, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks. (Don't add any fat to the pan; the meat will render enough fat to cook.)

In a small bowl, mix together the lime juice, brown sugar and fish sauce, and set aside.

When the beef is browned, raise the heat to medium-high, and add the scallions, red bell pepper and mushrooms to the pan. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, until the pepper is just warmed through. Add the curry paste to the wok, and stir for 1 minute. Then, pour in the coconut milk, and stir to combine. Let the dish simmer for 1 minute, and pour in the fish sauce mixture. Stir for 1 minute.

Serve over rice or lettuce leaves. Garnish with cilantro, and serve hot or at room temperature.

A hail Mary pass for the kitchen---I love it! Sometimes, as you mentioned, those do turn out wonderful results. This dish in particular looks like pure comfort food, especially during a snow storm. Good pass, Lydia!

Yum - like lettuce wraps!!
but I am going to be honest I wouldn't have these ingredients hanging around my pantry - some (thanks to you) but not all. I am a "pan of lasagna in a snow storm" kinda gal!
but this was ingenious and much lighter!!

That looks delicious! I love red curry - particularly the Mae Ploy brand. I have all of these ingredients in my pantry, except for the ground beef - but I do have chicken thighs, so I think I know what we're having for dinner tomorrow! Thanks for recommending red curry paste - I tend to feel guilty when I use a prepared red curry paste, but i have yet to make my own.

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Welcome to The Perfect Pantry®

My name is Lydia Walshin. From my tiny kitchen in Boston's Chinatown neighborhood, I share recipes that use what we keep in our pantries, the usual and not-so-usual ingredients that spice up our lives. Thanks so much for visiting.